CES 2018: Samsung to debut 8K TV, LG to introduce Crystal Sound OLED

At CES 2018, Samsung is planning to introduce a TV bigger than 100 inches as well as 8K TV. LG is planning to launch its first Crystal Sound OLED and unveil a rollable TV, according to a report by Korean ETNews.

CES 2018: Samsung TVs

These are rumors but Korean newspaper ETNews is usually pretty reliable when it comes to Korean brands. If we are to believe the report, lots of new TV innovations will be showcased at CES 2018 next month.

ETNews claims to know that Samsung will launch a “super-large QLED TV that is bigger than 100 inches”. The company will also re-introduce local dimming technology in its LCD TVs to better match the black levels achievable with OLED TVs. Both of these rumors have already been circulated (1, 2).

In addition, Samsung will for the first time showcase micro-LED, which is a new type of self-illuminating display technology that in many ways resemble OLED as each pixel is made up of light emitting diodes. The main difference is that micro-LED is based on inorganic material. An earlier rumor said that Samsung will unveil a 150” TV based on micro-LED at CES.

Lastly, the report says that Samsung intends to introduce its first ”8K QLED TV”.

Last week, FlatpanelsHD reported that Sony has filed for an ‘8K HDR’ logo and trademark.

CES 2018: LG TVs

ETNews also reported on LG’s plans for 2018. The Korean company is expected to introduce its first ’Crystal Sound OLED’ TV. This is the audio / speaker technology first introduced in the Sony A1 OLED where the OLED panel is used as a speaker membrane. The report says that LG has refined the technology with the “ability to detect where viewers are located and sending sound towards corresponding direction”.

LG will reportedly expands its line-up of OLED TVs and increase its push for ‘wallpaper OLED’ by introducing a smaller form factor. Today, the smallest wallpaper OLED measures 65 inches in diagonal. At its most recent quarterly earnings call, LG Display said that it expects to sell far more wallpaper and crystal sound OLED panels next year.

Finally, ETNews claims to know that LG will exhibit a rollable TV, presumably based on OLED technology. The report stresses that LG and Samsung may decide to keep some of the prototype TVs behind closed doors to avoid exposing them to competitors.

However, despite all of these new TV innovations, the Korean brands will next year continue to focus mainly on “QLED” and OLED, respectively.

- “Next year’s premium TV markets will also be a confrontation between QLED and OLED TVs,” a representative for the industry told. “When next-generation TV technologies such as micro LED and rollable display are developed, it is expected that there will be new products in TV markets starting from 2019.”